Children can get into danger quickly

April 3, 2008

Albany -- The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics says nearly 60 percent of all home accidents involving children are preventable. With reasonable supervision by an adult, and the use of ordinary precautions many accidents can be avoided.

Little Asia Brown's drowning death, while tragic, with a little prevention may have been avoidable. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury related death among kids one to 14.

"They associate the sippy cups with liquid, and liquid is associated with their mouth, and whether or not, it's a chemical you just need to be very, very cautious with what's in that child's surrounding that they can get to," says Emma Quimbley, Dougherty County Coroner.

In the kitchen especially, where kids like to get into low cabinets and could ingest hazardous chemicals. A stove can be just as dangerous. "If they can stand and just reach to the stove and get a pot handle, that can have devastating consequences," said First Step Coordinator Tina Phipps.

Your bathroom and back yard may not be much safer. "Any type of standing water, pools in the back yard, if you take your child outside and they're in a pool, leaving water in the bathtub, because the phone rings and you forget to let the water out. It's why unattended water should be drained," Phipps said.

Cabinets should also be locked to keep little hands out. You can even install safety outlets that won't shock a child who sticks something in it. "You have to have a three prong chord to plug into, that it actually stays closed until that third prong goes in and triggers it to open," says Family Tree Director Beverly Waddell.

Experts say you've got to get down on a child's level to to see the potential dangers, and no matter how hard a mother tries, some accidents just happen.

"It's easy for someone to say boy what was she thinking or what did she do or, it's not always the fault of the mother, things happen," Phipps said.

First Step offered parenting classes where they reviewed many of these safety tips, but a lack of attendance has canceled those classes. You can still contact First Step for information to make your home safe.